Smarter Driver Event promotes driving efficiency
2012 Volkswagen Passat journeys from Halifax to Vancouver
Along with the sunny days and balmy nights, summertime is also the season for road trips. Volkswagen and Shell Oil Company recently embarked on a summer road trip as well with its Smarter Driver Event, which began in Halifax and ended in Vancouver.
Eight Canadian drivers were chosen for Volkswagen's cross country journey and the vehicle chosen for the drive was a 2012 Passat with a six-speed automatic transmission. Peak output from the Passat's 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine is rated at 170 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. In addition to the Passat, two Volkswagen Touareg sport utility vehicles were provided to serve as support vehicles.
The drivers were under the tutelage of John and Helen Taylor whom have set numerous fuel economy driving records. In fact, the couple recently completed a world-record-setting journey of over 2,600 km on one tank of fuel in a 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI.
With a distance of approximately 6,340 km between Halifax and Vancouver, the aim of the Smarter Driver Event was to determine if the eight drivers could complete the cross-country trek on six tanks of fuel. According to Volkswagen, the six Passats averaged 5.59-litres/100 km over their journey, and by so doing set a new Canadian record for fuel-efficiency. Volkswa- gen says the Passat was only fueled with Shell Bronze 87-octane gasoline and managed a driving range of 1,352 km per tank. That means the Passat used just under 4.69 tankfuls of fuel for the approximate journey of 6,340 km from Halifax to Vancouver; significantly less fuel than the goal of six tankfuls. The total cost of the trip was a claimed $452.90.
The Smarter Driver Event as a whole reflects Volkswagen’s Think Blue initiative. Think Blue is a philosophy that supports saving fuel as well as making small lifestyle changes outside of the vehicle in order to conserve energy. Volkswagen’s Smarter Driver Event is one of the ways the German automaker hopes to spread this message.